Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780230609051)

In June 2007 civil war broke out in the Gaza Strip between two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah. Western peace efforts in the region always focused on reconciling two opposing fronts: Israel and Palestine. Now, this careful exploration of Middle East history over the last two decades reveals that the Palestinians have long been a house divided. What began as a political rivalry between Fatah's Yasir Arafat and Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin during the first intifada of 1987 evolved into a full-blown battle on the streets of Gaza between the forces of Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, and Ismael Haniyeh, one of Yassin's early prot馮駸. Today, the battle continues between these two diametrically opposing forces over the role of Palestinian nationalism and Islamism in the West Bank and Gaza. In this thought-provoking book, Jonathan Schanzer questions the notion of Palestinian political unity, explaining how internal rivalries and violence have ultimately stymied American efforts to promote Middle East peace, and even the Palestinian quest for a homeland.

Author: Jonathan Schanzer
ISBN-10: 0230609058
ISBN-13: 9780230609051
Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
Language: English
Published: 11/11/2008
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 9.52h x 6.34w x 0.91d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/01/2008 pg. 47
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2008 pg. 992